Dear fellow swimmers,
When you look back on your year, what do you see? What stands out?
As swimmers, we're good at looking forwards. We think about what swimming adventures we want to do next. We plan how we are going to prepare for them. We practise and train to achieve our
goals.
But after your event, challenge or adventure is over, how much more thought do you give it? If you're the competitive sort, you might spend a few minutes analysing your performance: what went well and how you could improve next time. This is a useful thing to do and will help you
on your swimming journey but it's not what I mean here.
I'm thinking instead about reflecting on your year and re-living the highlights. Not what have you achieved but what have you enjoyed? What special moments did you experience or share with friends or family?
Throughout December we've been celebrating the idea of swimming as a gift, which it is in so many ways. In January, we'll start looking forward and planning for the year ahead. Swimming adventures are exciting to look forward to, fun to do and leave lasting memories. It's natural to spend more time
and effort in planning, preparation and anticipation but as we wind down towards the end of the year, it's worth setting aside space for reflection and reminiscing. As well as anticipating future adventures, make sure you celebrate your past swimming experiences and enjoy the memories.
While we're in the mood for reflection, we thought we'd share some of our favourite reader swims and challenges we've featured in the past year. We've been bowled over by the record-breaking swims and weird-and-wonderful challenges you’ve done for amazing causes (I mean, making and wearing an elaborate hat for each of your 100 swims, anyone?!).
We hope these swimming stories of endurance-testing feats, quirky fundraisers and environmental campaigns will inspire your own adventures in the water next year.
